The Strawberry Tree, Brooklodge Hotel & Macreddin Village, Aughrim, Co Wicklow; 0402 36444; brooklodge.com

I AM frantically whisking my sabayon (egg yolks, sugar, wine) over a hot bain marie but it absolutely refuses to thicken. “Come on, guys, you need to finish this now!” barks Ann!. Sebastian, my cooking partner, isn’t happy. “Did you prick the bottom of the tarts before putting them in the oven?” I have easily baked a thousand tarts in my life up to that point. It’s straightforward, I know the drill. I flush. “Christ, I forgot!” Ann comes over to investigate. “My sabayon won’t thicken,” I wail. “That’s because the pot isn’t properly over the induction ring,” says Ann.

Fine food fare at the fiddle festival

WILD and foraged foods are once again becoming part of chic restaurant menus as well as family meals.

Food terms such as “farmhouse” and “artisan” need formal legal labels to protect a €4.1bn industry with a potential for up to 7,500 jobs, warns the Taste Council of Ireland.

Negligence claims cost the HSE a massive €81m in taxpayers’ money last year — with €32m going on legal fees for those defending the state organisation.

OLD LEIGHLIN won the Conlon Cup for the third time before 4,000 spectators at Dr Cullen Park yesterday.

ÉIRE ÓG came from four points down in the second half to send Palatine tumbling out of the Carlow SFC in Saturday’s quarter-final at Dr Cullen Park — the former Leinster champions winning by 3-11 to 2-8.

BORD Bia believes it is getting closer to being able to roll out Food Brand Ireland, the highly anticipated umbrella brand to promote Irish agrifood exports.

A HIGH Court judge has refused an application to jail three directors of a company which operated the Brook Lodge Hotel in Aughrim, Co Wicklow.

CHEFS and cooks have launched an investigation of disproportionate food safety requirements for small-scale producers. Through the Euro-toques organisation, they want information from primary and secondary food producers on food safety enforcement issues.

A 14-YEAR-OLD quadriplegic with cerebral palsy has been awarded €4.5 million in a settlement against the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The High Court has approved a €4.5m settlement to a 14-year-old Sligo boy with cerebral palsy and severe spastic quadriplegia.

AWARDS are two a penny these times, so much so that they often come and go with minimum publicity.

Wexford 0-11 Carlow 1-13

More than half of the Carlow team for Sunday's Leinster SFC quarter-final against Offaly will be making their championship debuts in Portlaoise (throw-in 2.10pm).